Numbering head wheel and method of making same



Feb. 4; 1 936.

M a. J. MAT-T NUMBERING HEAD WHEEL AND METHOD OF MAKING SAME Filed Jan. 23, 1934 .L-"ATToRNEY Patented Feb. 4, 1936 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE NUMBERING HEAD WHEEL AND METHOD OF MAKING SAME Application January 23, 1934, Serial No. 707,886

3 Claims.

My invention relates to: numbering head wheels and the method of making same, and more particularly to numbering wheels for use in numbering heads used in high speed power driven numbering machines, and a method of making said wheels by which accuracy in the location of the ratchet teeth in relation to the digit platens is assured, and likelihood of excessive wear and breakage of said ratchet teeth is reduced to a minimum.

In certain kinds of numbering work, when printing two or more documents on a single sheet known as two or more on, which documents are to be separated from each other or are in part to be retained as a permanent record, it is necessary to use, in the numbering heads employed for this Work, What is known as skip wheels.

A skip Wheel is one in which, instead of arranging the digits 1 to in a progressive sequence about the perimeter of the wheel, selective digits are arranged so as to secure a consecutive numbering of adjacent documents upon the sheet during a single impression made by the numbering machine. In this type of head, the arrangement of the digits corresponds with the number of documents upon a sheet. For example, where a sheet has two on, skip-two digit wheels are used. If there are five documents on a sheet, skip-five digit wheels are used. By this is meant that in a skip-two digit wheel the digits, instead of being progressively arranged about the perimeter of the wheel, 1, 2, 3, etc. will be alternately arranged, such as 1, 3, 5, etc., or 2, 4, 6,

* etc. Any desired number of skips may be provided for, up to nine, the arrangement of the digits upon a skip-nine being 1, 0, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2. With a skip-eight, the arrangement would be 1, 9, 7, 5, 3, 1, with a repeat of this sequence. Another arrangement of the skip-eight would be 2, 0, 8, 6, 4, and a repeat of these five digits.

Digit wheels of ordinary numbering heads used for consecutive numbering have a ratchet wheel at one side of the head, leaving nine high and one deep tooth so positioned in relation to the digits upon the wheel and the actuating comb pawl that when the digit 0 is in the printing position the comb pawl is permitted such movement as results in its engagement with one or more digit wheels of higher denomination according to the number set upupon the numbering head. In all numbering heads, the actuation of the wheels of succeedingly higher denomination is progressive according to the requirements for a transfer operation due to a continued operation of the head.

Skip wheels not only differ from the units wheels used in ordinary numbering heads as to the arrangement of the digits thereon, but also 5 as to the construction of the ratchet wheel for the reason that while with the ordinary wheel a transfer operation is required only once with each full rotation of the units wheel, such an operation may be required from two to nine times with each rotation of a skip wheel. Consequent- 1y, with skip wheels, the ratchet wheel operative thereonwill have from two to nine deep teeth instead of only one.

Skip wheels of the type above referred. to are old and well known in the numbering head art, but the use of such wheels has always been accompanied by frequent breakage of the teeth of the ratchet wheel thus not only making the numbering head inoperative so far as the units wheel is concerned but causing an improper actuation of the wheels of higher denomination. This results in an improper numbering of the forms upon succeeding sheets of paper with not only a loss in the output capacity of the numbering machine, but a destruction of the sheets of paper improperly numbered and a wastage of all labor and materials used in the production of such printed forms.

Digit wheels embodied in numbering heads used upon power actuated numbering machines are very largely what is known as type high, the wheels themselves. being about one inch in diameter. The teeth upon the ratchet wheel are a trifle over .3 of an inch in length. In skip wheels where there are two or moreadjacent deep teeth, the space between these teeth may be as small as 0.3 of an inch.

Prior to my invention, the universal practice in the manufacture of numbering heads was to make the ratchet wheels of sheet metal of approximately .06 of an inch in thickness, said ratchet wheels after being tumbled being riveted to the digit wheel proper by one or more rivets according to the available space afforded by the ratchet teeth. With a skip-nine wheel only one rivet was used, there being only space enough for one rivet and the shaft of the numbering head was relied upon to center the ratchet wheel in relation to its associate digit wheel.

In numbering heads, accuracy in locating each digit upon each wheel in the head is necessary in order to preserve a proper alinement of the digits of any printed number and where ratchet wheels produced separately'and riveted to the digit wheel proper have been used, there was always a possibility not only of an improper locating of each tooth of the ratchet in relation to the adjacent digit platen, and of excessive rapid wear upon the teeth from the actuating comb pawl and from the detent pawls, but with skip wheels, of frequent breakage of the narrow partition between adjacent deep teeth.

If it were attempted to so temper the ratchet wheels as to minimize such wear, the loss from warpage of the thin sheet metal and breakage because of the narrowness of the partition between adjacent deep teeth in skip teeth during hardening was so great as to make this practice impracticable.

With manufacturing practices prior to my invention, the breakage of the teeth upon ratchet wheels of skip wheels was very great and heavy losses resulted not only because of the necessity for immediately replacing such a wheel and of the spoilage of previously printed sheets of paper, but because of the necessary stoppage of a numbering machine with the resultant curtailment in its output capacity.

With the above conditions in mind, I have provided a number Wheel for use in power driven numbering machines, or printing presses having a numbering unit, which is so constructed as to ensure absolute accuracy in the location of the teeth of the ratchet wheel in relation to the associated digit platen and sufficient strength and wear resistant properties in all parts of the ratchet wheel to resist the heavy stresses resulting from the rapid actuation of the numbering head, and the Wear upon the teeth of the ratchet wheel, due to the high speed at which the numbering head is actuated. This result is secured not only by a proper hardening of the material of the digit wheel, but by a reinforcement of each tooth of the ratchet wheel by the material of the digit wheel proper. In producing a digit wheel having the desired characteristics, I employ a method or procedure which will not only ensure absolute accuracy in the location of the ratchet wheel in relation to its associated digit wheel, but will avoid any distortion or breakage of the digit wheel as a whole.

The invention consists primarily in a numbering head wheel embodying therein a digit wheel having a sequence of spaced platens about the perimeter thereof, and a plurality of high and a plurality of deep ratchet teeth upon one side of the digit wheel, and formed integrally with the material thereof, there being one ratchet tooth adjacent each platen, said digit wheel and said ratchet teeth being of hard steel stock and having a bearing opening extending therethrough; and in such other novel characteristics as are hereinafter set forth and described and more particularly pointed out in the claims hereto appended.

Referring to the drawing,

Fig. 1 is a numbering head wheel embodying the invention from the ratchet wheel side;

Fig. 2 is a side view thereof from the left of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a section on the line 3-3 of Fig. 1;

' Figs. 4 to 7 show more or less diagrammatically the various steps of the method of making such a digit wheel; and

Fig. 8 is a view similar to Fig. 2 of a skip four wheel embodying the invention.

Like numerals refer to like parts throughout the several views.

e a omp in drawin vIv hav u trated the invention in connection with a skip nine digit wheel as illustrating a style of skip wheel which shows an extreme condition in this type of wheel. It will be understood that a skip wheel is used only as a units wheel in a numbering head and that all wheels of higher denomination are of the usual type having only one deep tooth. In a skip-nine wheel there are nine deep teeth and one high tooth.

In the drawing, the digit wheel proper is shown at 10 and the digit platens thereon at H, axially extending notches [2; being positioned between succeeding platens. Upon one side of the digit wheel is a ratchet wheel having nine deep teeth and one high tooth. The high tooth is indicated at l3 and the succeeding low teeth at I4, [5, I 6, l1, l8, I9, 20, 2| and 22. The formation of the deep teeth is by means of narrow partitions indicated at 23 which ordinarily are of a width of approximately .03 of an inch.

The teeth l4 to 22 are formed integrally with the metal stock of the digit wheel l0 so that the entire ratchet wheel, including each tooth is supported throughout every portion thereof by the material of the digit wheel itself, thus causing all stresses applied to any partition to be transmitted to the digit wheel l0 and preventing breakage of any part of the ratchet wheel from stresses applied thereto substantially tangentially or circumferentially of the digit wheel.

The bearing opening of the digit wheel shown at 24 extends through both the digit wheel and the ratchet, thus. ensuring absolute accurate axial alinement of the digit wheel and its ratchet wheel and avoiding any possibility of a shifting, however small, of the ratchet wheel in relation to the digit wheel due to irregularity in wear upon the fixed bearing shaft of the numbering head.

The metal stock of the digit wheel and its shaft is, in the completed wheel, tempered or hardened in a manner to increase the wearing properties of both the digit wheel and the ratchet wheel and to strengthen the partitions 23 forming the ratchet teeth. The formation of the digit wheel proper and its ratchet wheel in a unitary, homogeneous, integral structure, formed as described, also affords a wide continuous hearing surface between the wheel and the numbering head shaft.

Wheels such as are above described are produced by the following method: A blank of substantially the aggregate thickness of a digit wheel llland the ratchet wheel [3-22 having notches I2 about the perimeter thereof and the bearing opening 24 formed therein, is used in the first step in the method of producing the wheel. This first step consists in turning one edge of the perimeter of the wheel down to a diameter corresponding with the greatest diameter of the ratchet wheel. The condition following the first step is shown in Fig. 4. This turning down operation provides a cylindrical portion 25 projecting from the face of the portion 26 forming the digit wheel proper to an extent of about .06 of an inch. The blank is then mounted upon a stud bearing by means of the bearing opening 2 and is located in relation to the work point of a routing or profile machine by means of the notches l2. The material of the projecting portion 25 is then cut away to a depth approximating .06 of an inch leaving partitions to form the various teeth l322 inclusive, the blank being shifted 36 following the formation of each tooth. After the metal of the projecting cylindri'cal portion has been thus removed to form the succeeding teeth, the digits upon the platens II are routed out in the usual manner, the

digits being located in relation to the teeth of the ratchet wheel by means of the notches I2 thus ensuring absolute accuracy in the positioning of each digit in relation to the tooth of the ratchet wheel adjacent thereto. In this manner, all possibility of a loss of alinement due to improper location of the teeth of the ratchet wheel in relation to the digits is eliminated.

After the formation of the ratchet wheel and the digits upon the blank, the wheels are raised to a desired temperature and oil or otherwise tempered by means of a heating oven indicated at 21 and an oil bath indicated at 28. During this tempering operation the thickness or bulk of steel in the blank including the 'digit wheel and the ratchet wheel, is sufficient to avoid any possibility of warping of any portion of the wheel or of the ratchet. Hardness of the finished wheel may vary according to the tempering methods employed.

By reason of the formation of the ratchet wheel upon one side of the same blank as is used in forming the digit wheel proper, there is no possibility of any variation in the position of any part in relation to other parts of the ratchet wheel, so that the completed wheel is extremely accurate as to the location of the various portions thereof and will remain accurate since the hardness of the Wheel as a whole, minimizes possibility of such wear upon the ratchet wheel as will result in variation in the degree of turning of the wheel with each actuation of the numbering head.

In a numbering head wear upon the ratchet wheels, has, prior to my invention, resulted in material shortening of its life and with high speed power driven numbering machines, this wear upon the heads is great since it results not only from the engagement of the comb pawl with this ratchet wheel, but of the detent pawls therewith.

Experience has shown, after long continued use of wheels embodying the invention, that all those inconveniences and losses resulting from the breakage of the tooth forming portions of the ratchet are avoided, and that a numbering head equipped with a units wheel embodying the invention, operates over long periods without any loss of alinement or other difliculties resulting from wear upon the ratchet wheel.

The invention is particularly applicable to skip wheels and the method of their production, since with numbering wheels used for consecutive numbering likelihood of breakage present in a large degree in skip wheels, is absent.

The operation of a skip wheel in numbering heads will be briefly described in connection with a skip nine wheel. Such wheels are used when printing nine forms upon a single sheet. It will be understood that a group of nine forms may sometimes be duplicated upon the same sheet. The make-ready of the press, however, is the same as to each group upon a sheet, so far as the setting of the skip wheels is concerned, although the setting of the wheels of higher denomination will vary according to the total number of groups to be printed.

The description of the operation may therefore be limited to the skip wheels in the heads operative upon a single group of forms. Where, as in check books and various styles of receipt will be two sets of numbering heads, one for the stubs and one for the forms, the units wheel of each set requiring the same setting during the make-ready.

It is necessary, in printing sheets having nineon, that the numbering heads of each set shall be initially set with the digits in a progressively ascending scale so that upon the first rotation of the numbering machine the forms of the group will have imprinted thereon the numerals l to 9 respectively. Following the making of this initial impression, the unit wheel of each head receives a one-tenth revolution. The forms upon the succeeding sheet must be numbered from 10 to 18.

Consequently, there must be a transfer operation in each of the heads.

The units wheel, following each impression, must receive a one-tenth revolution and the arrangement of the high and the deep teeth in relation to the digits must be such that following the making of an impression, during which the units wheel is set at zero, there will be no transfer operation, the actuation of the numbering head resulting only in the turning of the units wheel. This condition applies to each numbering head in a set. For example, the top forms in succeeding sheets having nine-on will be numbered 1, 1O, 19, 28, etc., there being no transfer operation following the printing of the number 10. The next lower form will have impressed thereon the numbers 2, 11, 20, 29. This condition will continue throughout the different forms, no transfer occurring whenever the last digit of any number is zero.

When the units wheels are for use with sheets having two to eight-on, the transfer interval will occur only when the addition to the units digit of a number requires that the next number will bring the total of the two lower wheels to a sum requiring the turning of the tens wheel. For example, with two-on, whenever the digit 9 is in the printing position, before the making of the following impression, there must be a transfer operation. With five-on, the transfer will occur whenever the digit 5 of the units wheel is in the printing position. A simple mathematical computation will determine the non-transfer interval in other arrangements of skip wheels.

As heretofore stated, skip wheels are used only as units wheels, which wheels are peculiarly susceptible to excessive wear because of the relatively much greater number of operations of the units wheel as compared to any other wheel in the head.

A detailed description of type-high numbering heads is unnecessary, nor is a showing of such a head in the drawing because such arewell known to those familiar with the numbering head art.

Improper actuation of the units digit wheel resulting in loss of alinement is due mainly to wear upon the ratchet teeth, since wear upon the actuating pawl and the detent pawls will be automatically taken up by springs operative thereon. Wear upon the ratchet wheel, however, cannot be compensated for by other mechanisms in the machine.

A numbering wheel embodying the invention, while more expensive to produce than the old type of numbering wheel in which the ratchet is made of sheet metal independently of the digit wheel proper and riveted thereto, possesses the advantages, over the old type of wheel, of greater accuracy in the locating of each ratchet tooth in books, each form is associated with a stub, there relation to its associated digit with a. resultant accuracy in alinement; permanency in the above result by the avoidance of Wear upon the ratchet teeth; impossibility of shifting of the ratchet wheel in relation to the digit wheel as a result of wear upon the main shaft adjacent the digit wheel, or adjacent the ratchet wheel, and a substantial avoidance of any likelihood of the breakage of the ratchet teeth even when a numbering head embodying the wheel is operated at extremely high speeds.

It is not my intention to limit the invention to a numbering Wheel of the type shown in the drawing, since, as heretofore explained, the invention contemplates a wheel so formed as to permit any desired number of skips.

Having described the invention, what I claim as new and desire to have protected by Letters Patent, is:

1. A numbering head wheel embodying therein a digit wheel having a sequence of spaced platens about the perimeter thereof, and a plurality of high and a plurality of deep ratchet teeth upon one side of the digit wheel, and formed integrally with the material thereof, there being one ratchet tooth adjacent each platen, said digit wheel and said ratchet teeth being of hard steel stock, and having a bearing opening extending therethrough.

2. A numbering head wheel embodying therein a digit Wheel having a sequence of spaced platens about the perimeter thereof, and a plurality of high and a plurality of adjoining deep ratchet teeth upon one side of the digit wheel and formed integrally with the material thereof, there being one ratchet tooth adjacent each platen, said digit wheel and said ratchet teeth being of hard steel stock and having a bearing opening extending therethrough.

3. A numbering wheel embodying a digit wheel having a sequence of spaced platens about the perimeter thereof, each platen having a digit thereon, and a plurality of partitions forming a sequence of high and deep ratchet teeth corresponding in number with said platens, said partitions being upon one side, and formed integrally with the material of said digit wheel, there being a high tooth whenever the sum of succeeding digits is less than ten, and a deep tooth whenever the sum of two succeeding digits is ten or more, said digit wheel and said ratchet teeth being of hard steel stock and having a bearing opening extending therethrough.

GEORGE J. MATT. 

